The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-08-13
kETcnUn TO punIwAY's.
An Interesting Sketch Of the Trip BY
I'm A. 8. DuniWay.

Mrs. A. s. Duniway, writing to
the Oregonian from the Duniway
Stock Ranch, in Lost river valley,
furnishes that paper with an inter.
esting account of her trip from
Ketchum, and the picturesque ride
to the family home. She says:
II hadn't previously assented to the
general opinion that HALEY is the banner
town of Alturas, I'd be inclined to assign
the honor to Ketchum, so prettily situated
is this mountain city and so numerous are
the signs Of activity, taste and prosperity
that greet US rs. upon alighting at the term
mus, We enter q bus and go careering to-
ward q hotel, in the company of half a
dozen tourists from almost as many differ
ent parts of the Union.
The first object that attracts the admir-
ing gaze of everybody who visits this pretty
town is the great building, or rather sue
cessiOn Of buildings. known as the "smelt-
ing works" with their busy whirr Of much
machinery, and their huge brick smoke
stacks sending forth dense columns of sooty
substance that ascends almost perpendicu-
larlv at first, and then lazily wandcrs off
toward the nearby mountains. where il
hangs like pail of inky blackness over the
deep gorges whence the precious ore comes
down to meet its doom in the jaws of iron
crushers, to be known henceforth as ore no
more forever. An hours waiting, which
included dinner, ended by our taking seats
on Numbering, creaky and open thorough
brace, which resembled the regulation stage
of the border about as much as rickety
blackboard patched with ropes resembles
the laudaulet of reform" cabinet officer.
Our driver. aquaint, good-natured. elder
ly oracle, rejoicing in the pseudonym of
a
bling about the old thorough-brace, but
found it rather comfortable conveyance,
all things considered.
Our road for several miles ran through
narrow and picturesque valley, watered by
a beautiful stream with the impulse OF its
mountain source animating its busy cur,
rent and the lay of the land making fall
enough for great convenience in irrigation.
On either hand were lofty mountains, some
OF them bearing groves Of evergreen, and
sometimes bald-headed as the occupants of
the front seats at a spectacular opera. Fall
en- timber and huge boulders frequently
crossed our track, the debris Of winter av-
alanches, and more frequent still were seen
the yawning gaps in the mountain heights
where men have located prospects" or
built cabins at the mouths of actual mines.
At last we reach q summit, where there is
toll gate, which young lady comes out
of a cabin and unlocks to let us pass re-
ceiving with a tell-tal0 blush letter, over
which Dad" the driver, is dryly facetious
This incident breaks the monotony for
few minutes, trivial as it is; then i'm little
while we are beyond the summit and have
new scenes to admire. Lost river now
comes tearing down from a stupendous
gorge, running away from Trail creek as
though imagining itself chased by furies
which seemed equally determined all the
time to run in the opposite direction.
When about twenty-five miles from the
last stage station we struck a narrow defle
in the mountain gorges, known as the bat
tie ground, or scene of an important battle
in the last Indian war. There is a hay
ranch here. and dingy, tumble-down old
cabin, where the wayfarer who is hungry
enough to be Oblivious tn mosquitoes, and
the Good Lord only knows what else that
is uninviting. may be fed The remaining
drive to Houston, and thence to the Duni-
way ranch was without incident. Suffice
it TO say that / found the ranchers well,
and the town of Houston excited over re-
cent auriferous discoveries that completely
eclipse the famous galena mines, now quiz
escent, that sprang into notice few years
ago, and made the town.